Two reactions to today’s video.
First. “Are you insane? Football on concrete?”
Second. “Oh to be young again.”
Fun Fridays – November 8, 2013
Blog
Why Not Take a Chance?
Often I receive queries and proposals in which the author will say his submission is out of the box. I'm not opposed to groundbreaking work, but I have to decide what will and what won't work for me. I am the first to admit, this process is subjective. Our own Steve Laube is routinely teased by a couple of his successful author friends he turned down. If an agent as wise as Steve Laube misses a …
Your Writing Team: Freelance Editors
You’ve heard the old saying, “Can’t see the forest for the trees”? In other words, you can see each tree, take note of the beautiful leaves and strong branches, but because you’re focused on them you don’t see the whole forest. The big picture. And that, my friends, is where it helps to have freelance editors on your team.
Yes, for some, the editor role is filled by an in-house editor. But if …
Elect to be Successful
Today is the first Tuesday in November…election day somewhere.
Have you ever wondered why so many people in politics never seem to actually solve problems and do what is right? The explanation is actually rather simple:
Many politicians exhibit those traits that are characteristic of unsuccessful people.
In what world of relationships, work, church, community or business would a person …
Fun Fridays – November 1, 2013
This is the kind of half-time show I'd much rather see during the Super Bowl.
Make sure to watch until the end. It is truly incredible.
Five Myths About an Agent’s Rejection
1.) The agent hates me. Unless you approached her and said something along the lines of, "You and your kids are ugly and you have lousy taste in manuscripts," a rejection shouldn't be personal.
But if you are worried that you unintentionally offended an agent or other publishing professional, take action. Email to let him know you have been worried about why you may have been the cause of …
Your Writing Team: Creating an Advisory Board
As I write this, we’re smack-dab in the middle of football season. The town I grew up in was—and still is—a football town. I LOVE football. I was in the band, so marched at all our school games from junior high through college. My friends and I played football. I even, a few times, ran the chain for JV games in highschool. It was great fun. But more than that, I saw the importance of having a team …
Real vs. Imaginary
Simone Weil was being quite profound when she commented:
“Imaginary evil is romantic and varied; real evil is gloomy, monotonous, barren, boring. Imaginary good is boring; real good is always new, marvelous, intoxicating.”
I can see the truth in those words in just about every book, TV program or movie. Anywhere a story is told, fictional villains or real heroes are the most interesting …
Fun Fridays – October 25, 2013
Too cool. Playing a piano and a cello on the Great Wall of China!
The music is a combination of the song "Oogway Ascends" from the "Kung Fu Panda" film soundtrack and Frederick Chopin’s Prelude Op. 28 No. 20 in C minor. (The music really builds starting at the 1:07 mark.)
Creative genius.
[I apologize in advance for any ads that may pop up. I cannot control how YouTube monetizes these …
My Amazing Fake Day
I've been intrigued by some blogs and articles about how Facebook makes people depressed because everyone else's lives seem so perfect. I hope that no one thinks the sum of my life is reflected in two recent Facebook posts that my uncle killed a bear on our family farm in Southern Virginia and here in Northern Virginia, we are host a family of walking stick bugs. I took great comfort in the …